1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates of petroleum jelly compositions (oil-in-water emulsions) which are easily dispersible in water.
Description of the Prior Art
It is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 3,852,475 that the inclusion of hydrophobic starch in topical compositions containing solid petroleum jelly reduces the greasy appearance and feel normally associated with such compositions as well as reducing the resistance of the compositions to washing with cold water soap and detergent compositions. The compositions that are shown in this patent contain no aqueous phase, are not emulsions, and are, moreover, apparently not dispersible in water. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,035,514 indicates that petroleum jelly containing up to 30%, by weight, of a combination dispersing agent comprising cetyl alcohol, lanolin alcohols and alkoxylated fatty acid esters of sorbitol can be dispersed in water without the use of additional soaps or detergents. Once again, this reference relates to petroleum jelly compositions which do not contain a water phase since they are described as viscous salves or creams. The compositions shown in this patent are merely designed to be dispersed in water and consist of an oil phase in combination with the dispersing agent only.
Cosmetic and Toiletry Formulations by E. W. Flick, on page 225, illustrates a cream comprising petrolatum, emulsifier, and water which is characterized as "oily" and "not dispersible in water".
Drug and Cosmetic Industry, Vol. 94, No. 6, June 1964, pages 821-824 and 920 mentions use of an ultrasonic emulsifier to produce a product called "Dry Skin Cream" (for Chesebrough-Pond's Inc.) which differs from the types of compositions which are part of the present invention in the following major ways: The resulting composition was a non-stable water-in-oil emulsion (rather than an oil-in-water emulsion) containing very low amounts (e.g., about 10% or so) of petroleum jelly; and, if added to water, such a composition would not readily disperse to form a milky white composition containing petroleum jelly of micron and submicron size.
For more than one year preceding the filing of this specification, a product was commercially available as VASELINE Extra Strength and VASELINE Dermatology Grade from Chesebrough-Pond's Inc. which is an oil-in-water emulsion containing low levels (e.g., 1-15%) petroleum jelly. The emulsion of this type utilized differing emulsifiers from those employed herein and was not formed by ultrasonic emulsification. If the materials used to form the emulsion were ultrasonically emulsified, the present inventor found that no stable, water dispersible oil-in-water emulsion was formed.